training and resources

• Put Her FIRST Video Series – A collection of FIRST^® LEGO^® League videos featuring young women team members.
• FIRST Like A Girl – #FIRSTLikeAGirl strives to improve the culture of STEM by sharing the experiences of the successful women and girls in FIRST.
• LGBTQ+ of FIRST – An organization dedicated to raising awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ+ participants in FIRST.
• You Go Girl – This initiative personifies team dedication to reversing society’s perception of women in engineering by inspiring girls to become involved in STEM fields.
• Girls Who Code – The organization is building the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the United States. Girls Who Code offers learning opportunities for students and alumni to deepen their computer science skills as well as their confidence.
• Women in STEM: A Guide to Bridging the Gender Gap – Maryville University Online wants to help educate people on the benefits of a career in STEM fields as well as provide the resources necessary for women, minorities, and people with disabilities to follow their passion and desired career path. This guide provides some information about the current gender and diversity gaps in STEM university studies and careers, reasons for those gaps, and strategies to help promote inclusivity in STEM-related industries.

Created in collaboration with Kids Included Together (KIT), these webinar training focuses on providing coaches and mentors with a better understanding of some of the challenges youth with disabilities face, and how to create a more welcoming and comfortable environment for everyone on their FIRST teams.

• I Can Be Inclusive Too e-Course – These interactive Inclusion tools will provide practical steps to achieve your disability inclusion goals and help you feel confident in understanding inclusion, creating accommodations, supporting and responding positively to behavior challenges and creating supportive environments. Through these videos, we will highlight a path of resources and supports to access at time of need. Participants will leave with several resources, learn from videos, and scenario demonstrations helping to build staff confidence and competence in supporting all youth at your program!
  • ADA Basics
  • Power of Language
  • Connecting for Inclusion Pt. 1
  • Connecting for Inclusion Pt. 2
  • Supportive Responses
  • Using Your Space Wisely
  • Views on Behavior
• Creating a Sense of Belonging – For youth with autism spectrum disorder
• Inclusive Recruitment and Enrollment Strategies webinar
• Tip Sheets
  • 5 questions for families
  • 5 questions for team members
  • Case by case checklist
  • Gathering info from families

Human Rights Campaign, Project THRIVE
FIRST has joined Project THRIVE, a multi-year, collaborative effort of many national organizations led by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to create more equitable, inclusive support systems and communities for LGBTQ+ youth.

• 2023 Back to School Checklist – This checklist provides a research-based guide for K-12 educators and other youth-serving professionals as they proactively work to ensure safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools and communities for LGBTQ+ youth. 
• Project THRIVE Pride Message 
• Project THRIVE Monthly Newsletters – Project THRIVE offers a monthly newsletter as a resource for any youth-serving professional interested in learning more about better serving LGBTQ+ youth.
• Project THRIVE Webinars – Register for upcoming webinars covering various topics on how to support LGBTQ+ youth in your community.
• Project THRIVE Partner Organizations
• LGBTQ-Inclusive Position Statements and Resolutions – “We encourage all youth-serving professionals to use and share these resolutions and position statements as guides to creating safe, supportive, and affirming environments for LGBTQ+ youth.”
• A Parent’s Quick Guide for In-School Transitions: Empowering Families and Schools to Support Transgender and Non-Binary Students – “This guide supports parents and caregivers navigating the process of in-school social transition with their child and their child’s school. The guide is intended to offer a quick reference for parents through the process, in a step-by-step manner.”
• Promoting Emotional Wellness for LGBTQ Youth – This self-paced hour-long training module will help participants learn how to best promote safety, health, and well-being for LGBTQ youth at home, at school, and in systems of care. Social workers can even earn one free CEU from NASW. 
• LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools: A Self Assessment Tool – The Center for Disease Control has released a new self-assessment tool for LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Schools. This is a great measure to determine if you and your school are meeting the full needs of your LGBTQ+ students. 
• imi a free online resource for LGBTQ+ youth to support their mental health and well-being.

A critical aspect of being accessible and inclusive is communication with others. The FIRST Localizations & Language Assistance Strategy positions us to meet the communication needs of students experiencing barriers. Students experiencing limited English proficiency and students with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities, should have the opportunity to fully participate in our programs.
 

Versions of FIRST materials in Spanish

If you need program specific materials in Spanish or another language, please contact to your local Program Delivery Partner or FIRST Customer Service for availability and access to those materials.

At FIRST, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community for all participants. Well-being is important and we encourage coaches and mentors to educate themselves on ways to best work with their students. A few helpful resources created by the National Institute for Mental Health are linked below. If specific questions or situations arise, we advise you to reach out to organizations that specialize in well-being.
 

• Stand Up to Stress!
  This printable coloring and activity book for children ages 8-12 teaches kids about stress and anxiety and offers tips for coping in a healthy way.
  • English
  • Spanish
• I’m So Stressed Out!
  This fact sheet can be printed and posted about stress and anxiety and what students can do to cope.
  • English
  • Spanish
• I’m So Stressed Out!
  This infographic briefly presents information about stress, anxiety, and ways to cope when feeling overwhelmed. It was developed for use on social media to highlight the “I’m So Stressed Out” fact sheet.
  • English
  • Spanish
• Teen Depression: More than just moodiness
  This fact sheet is intended for teens and young adults and presents information about and how to recognize the symptoms of depression and how to get help.
  • English
  • Spanish